Harold’s End, the first in a series of novellas by J.T., tells the story of a teenage boy who prostitutes himself on the streets of San Francisco to feed his heroin habit. The story’s nameless narrator and his pack of pet-toting teenage hustlers are approached by a man they first suspect is either part of an outreach program or a cop. ‘Larry’ shows up on their block providing the kids with clean needles and food for their odd assortment of pets. LeRoy's narrator is neither interested in Larry nor his generosity but when Larry says he has something for him, the boy can’t resist. Larry slowly wins the boy’s trust, takes him off the streets and provides him with food, drugs and an unlikely pet - a snail. The snail, "a descendant of the first snails brought to the Bay Area by the French in the 19th century," is given the name Harold. The three form a codependent relationship that unravels after a botched sex act, some unfortunate dumpster diving and a swift beating. It’s J.T.’s immune, matter-of-fact approach to this harsh subject matter that sets him apart from the likes of Dennis Cooper who is known for his books about gay, teenage metalheads and their doomed sex-capades. J.T.’s first book Sarah was published in 2000. Sarah is an autobiographical novel about a young boy who dresses up as his mother and prostitutes himself along with the other ‘lot lizards’ (truck stop hookers), who wear raccoon penis bones around their necks. LeRoy’s next book, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, a tormented chronicle of LeRoy’s childhood, was recently made into a film and debuted at Cannes this year.

Harold’s End is the first of a series of novellas to be published by Last Gasp of San Francisco and illustrated by Cherry Hood. LeRoy’s next book, Labor, will be published in 2005.

On The Web | www.jtleroy.com

Photos: Evan Sung